Longing for a drain

For nearly 3 years, many households in Vinh Qui Hamlet, Vinh Trinh Commune, Vinh Thanh District have been struggling due to the lack of a domestic wastewater drainage system. Especially during the rainy season, rainwater from National Highway 80 flows into people's houses and land, causing flooding, stagnation, and no way out. Since then, the living environment has been heavily polluted. People have repeatedly petitioned the local government and functional agencies, but so far, the problem has not been considered and resolved satisfactorily.

Mrs. Hanh's family installed a water pump to temporarily solve the problem of domestic wastewater with no outlet.

In mid-May 2025, we visited the home of Mr. Nguyen Hoai Thanh, one of the households severely affected by the flooding and lack of drainage. Mr. Thanh confided: “People here build houses close together and discharge domestic wastewater into the canals and ditches behind. Currently, these canals have been filled in to build the VSIP Industrial Park. With no drainage, our lives face many difficulties, especially during the rainy season.”

According to our records, most of the households affected by the drainage system live along Highway 80, from the gate of VSIP Industrial Park to culvert No. 3, in part of Vinh Qui Hamlet, Vinh Trinh Commune. The households said that in 2023, VSIP Industrial Park leveled the ground and filled in the canals and ditches behind Highway 80, leading to flooding, affecting the lives and activities of households along Highway 80.

Recently, Highway 80 has been upgraded, and drainage holes have been built along the route. Ms. Dang Thi Hong Hanh, who has a house along Highway 80, said: “When we heard that the construction unit would build a drainage system along Highway 80, we were very happy. Every house bought materials to build drainage lines, connecting to this drainage system. Up to now, many places have been completed and put into use. As for our section, nothing has been done yet. So this rainy season, we continue to have to live in a state of flooding and environmental pollution.”

Domestic wastewater and rainwater stagnate, with no way out, affecting people's lives.

To limit the pollution caused by flooding, some households here have expanded their land, raised their floors, and even built houses on stilts. The result of this spontaneous and unsynchronized solution is that households with low ground have to suffer from flooding. Ms. Hanh said: “On my family's land, there is a small ditch. Every day, domestic wastewater from households is concentrated here. When it is full, my family puts the pump to the vacant land of nearby households; and when it rains, we put the water pump all the time. However, this is only a temporary solution. To fundamentally and thoroughly solve the situation of no drainage, we earnestly request the local government and functional agencies to invest in and build a drainage system along National Highway 80 so that households can connect to the drainage, avoiding the current flooding situation.”

Recently, representatives of the government and functional agencies of Vinh Thanh district conducted a field survey; at the same time, recorded the difficulties and recommendations of the people to soon have solutions to overcome them.

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/mong-moi-co-duong-thoat-nuoc-a186840.html